


Crashing Through Your Door

by hookedoncaptainswan



Category: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:22:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25890544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hookedoncaptainswan/pseuds/hookedoncaptainswan
Summary: Zoey is hiding out in her apartment and everyone is worried about her so Max decides to make sure she's okay.
Relationships: Zoey Clarke & Max Richman, Zoey Clarke/Max Richman
Comments: 24
Kudos: 36





	Crashing Through Your Door

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Clarkeman fic!!! 
> 
> Shoutout to all my Discord loves for encouraging me until I finally completed something <3
> 
> Thank you to my Beta typicalaveragefangirl 
> 
> enjoy!!

Max had been sitting in his apartment all day hunting for jobs online to no avail and at about 4 pm he decided to call it quits for the day. He decided to work out for a while and went in search of his phone to play some music, but when he picked up his phone he discovered he had missed calls from Maggie, David, and Joan—not to mention numerous texts from them—Tobin of all people, and Mo. 

Zoey had apparently worried everyone throughout the day and he hadn’t been anywhere near his phone to help. Max immediately dialed Zoey’s number _and no, it is not crazy to have phone numbers memorized these days, thank you very much._ She didn’t answer… so he called again… and a _few_ more times. After the first few, it began immediately going to voicemail so he decided to text her instead. 

9 unanswered calls and 24 unanswered texts later, Max decided to find Zoey and see with his own eyes that she was okay. Mo had texted him earlier explaining that she had barricaded herself in her apartment five hours prior after Mo had attempted to use his master key to check on her. With that knowledge Max drove to Zoey’s apartment where he now stood and knocked on her door…. And knocked again… and again, until he heard her voice.

“Who is it?” He couldn’t tell if she was in the other room or if she just sounded small and afraid, but either way it broke his heart to think she needed to seclude herself like this.

“Uh, it’s Max.”

“MAX!” She squeaked. “OH.. um.. Max, now is really not a good time.”

“Zoey I have heard from Joan, Maggie, David, _and_ Mo today. They all say you’ve been acting really strange the past few days. Maggie said you ran out in the middle of a conversation last night, Joan said you left work early, you haven’t answered any of mine _or_ David’s calls today, and Mo said you’ve been holed up in your apartment for over five hours,” Max said. “ Zoey everyone is really worried about you, will you please just open the door so I can let people know that you’re okay?”

There was a long period of silence where she didn’t respond and he didn’t hear any movement, so he’s afraid for a moment that he had only made things worse. Finally, from the other side of the door he heard her light footsteps and something being moved from behind the door. Suddenly he heard the door unlock and he’s face to face with his best friend.

“Hi Max.” She sounded just as quiet as she had from behind the door, but she gave him a half smile so he knew whatever it was couldn’t be _that bad_ at least.

“Hey Zo. You wanna tell me what’s going on?” He had a feeling she didn’t, but it was worth it to ask. She appeared to want to say something, but didn’t. Instead, she walked into the living room and he followed (as if he would ever _not_ follow her where she wanted him to go). She sat down on the couch for a brief moment but immediately shot back up and began pacing. Finally she spoke.

“My powers are glitching again so I’ve been hiding here all day so I don’t make a fool of myself again.”

“Zoey, if it’s just your powers then you should have just called me, or even Mo. We could have figured it out like last time.”

“Yeah because last time turned out _so_ well.”

“Everything turned out fine after you admitted to yourself what was wrong.”

“Yeah I guess so...”

“So let’s figure it out then. Any idea what could be causing your powers to glitch?” Silence. She just looked at him with her big blue eyes and walked into the kitchen and grabbed her microwave. _Oh no, not the microwave_.

“Zoey? Is there anything that you are avoiding, or... or denying or… gosh I don’t know we’ve only had this problem once it’s hard to know what all could cause it to happen I guess.” She looked entirely unphased, just taking apart a microwave, almost like she didn’t even hear him.

“Zoey… Earth to Zoey? Do you know why you might be glitchi---”

“YES! I mean, uh NO. I mean… maybe?” 

“You seem unsure.” He deadpanned. “You wanna try that again?”

“Max I know what’s causing it but I really need you to go, please.” She gave him a soft look almost as if she didn’t really want him to leave, but if she knew what was causing her glitch why wouldn’t she just say so in the first place?

“Fine don’t tell me then, but Zoey _at least_ figure it out for yourself.”

“Max I’ll tell you tomorrow I promise just… please?” She looked at him pleadingly and he couldn’t understand why it was so important for him to go. It wasn’t like she had never glitched in front of him before, she shouldn’t be embarrassed by it. Not with him at least…

“Zoey, the glitch won’t stop until you face whatever it is that you’re avoi—”

“It’s **_YOU!”_ **

“What?” Now he was even more confused.

“You’re the reason I’ve been glitching, Max.”

“You’re afraid to face _me_?” That hurt, even when they were fighting she had never been afraid to face him…

“What, no! Max I’m not afraid to _face_ _you_ but there’s something I have been wanting to tell you and I’d really rather say it than sing it but if I start to think about it too much then I’ll—”

Max knew that look. He could tell that she was about to sing a heart song which is exactly what she _didn’t_ want to happen.

“Dammit,” she said. “Just know that this is your fault.” 

“Um Zoey I can leave if you want me to before you –”

_I can’t fight this feeling any longer_

Oh. Too late.

_And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow_ _  
_ _What started out as friendship has grown stronger_ _  
_ _I only wish I had the strength to let it show_

At this point Max decided to act as if he had no idea of what was going on. He tried to just stay in place and keep as neutral of a face as he could. She wanted to tell him rather than sing to him and he was damn well going to give her that if he could help it. 

_I tell myself that I can't hold out forever_

_I said there is no reason for my fear_

_'Cause I feel so secure when we're together_

_You give my life direction, you make everything so clear_

This was Max’s go-to karaoke song so he knows it very well and he’s pretty sure he knew where this was going. Keeping a straight face was becoming more impossible by the second— was it possible that she is finally ready for them to be more than friends? 

Zoey starts to walk around him, not really dancing, but with definite musicality in her movements. 

_And even as I wander, I'm keeping you in sight_ _  
_ _You're a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter's night_ _  
_ _And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might_

She makes some guitar sounds with her lips pursed and damn if it isn’t the cutest thing Max has ever seen her do.

_And I can't fight this feeling anymore_ _  
_ _I've forgotten what I started fighting for_ _  
_ _It's time to bring this ship into the shore_ _  
_ _And throw away the oars, forever_

 _'Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore_ _  
_ _I've forgotten what I started fighting for_   
_And if I have to crawl upon the floor, come crashing through your door_ _  
_ Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore

She ends the song standing in front of him once again but now standing much closer with her hands on his chest as she breathes deeply. 

“Well, now you know I guess.” Zoey said defeatedly, mumbling under her breath with a shrug, “It’s not exactly how I wanted you to find out but...”

“Know what?” He says. Her head shot up and Max could see the confusion in her eyes and he thought his plan just might work.

“Huh? Max did you not just hear me sing to you?”

“Sing to me? No I was waiting to hear what you had to say and you zoned out a bit.”

Zoey was looking at him skeptically but she found some truth in his words because she often zones out when other people sing heart songs to her so she considered that it was possible that it could happen when she was glitching as well…

“You’re serious? Max… you didn’t hear me sing _anything_ to you? Not even humming or anything? Did I dance? Did I even MOVE?”

“Um… Zoey you’re rambling. But nope, I didn’t hear you sing anything _to_ me. I _do however_ recall you saying something about wanting to tell me something and that it was important that you **say** it rather than **sing** it to me, so… got anything you want to say before I go?” 

He knows that she has caught on by now by the way she’s smiling at him, but she looks so damn happy he knows he made the right move in allowing her the opportunity to tell him herself. 

“Max, I love you. I love you and I’m sorry it took so long for me to accept it and so long for me to say it but you’re my best friend and my everything and I love you so, so much.” 

His grin was so wide he was afraid his face might either break in half or get stuck in place, but he couldn’t care less because his best friend loved him back and he may never have known a happier moment in his entire life. 

“Zoey, I love you too. I love you so damn much.”

Through the whole conversation neither of them had moved so Zoey was still right in front of Max, her small delicate hands resting on his firm chest. So it was easy for Max to wrap his arms around her waist as he leaned in to kiss her. 

Kissing Zoey again felt like coming home. It was different than the last time. This time it was soft and slow, their lips tenderly caressing each other in perfect unison. Zoey’s hand moved to cup his face and he pulled her in even closer. They kissed for what felt like forever and also no time at all until finally they had to come up for air. 

Both of them were standing there breathing heavily, foreheads touching when Zoey spoke up.

“You _totally_ heard me sing.”

“I **_totally_ ** heard you sing.” They both giggled. “So REO Speedwagon, huh?”

“Ugh, please let’s not talk about it.”

“Oh no, I’m never letting this go.” Zoey hit his chest.

“You’re so lucky that I love you.” 

“Yes. Yes I am.”


End file.
